Our Story

our story

Purchasing the brewery building on a contract for deed.

News coverage of our brewery's offering of patron memberships.

It all started when...

A group of active citizens gathered in August of 2013 to meet and discuss the possibility of opening a brewery in Granite Falls, MN, using the cooperative business model. On October, 17, 2013, Bluenose Gopher Brewery incorporated as a Cooperative Association under Chapter 308B of the Minnesota Statutes.

The Board of Directors developed bylaws, a mission statement, website and purchased a building on a contract for deed. In June of 2014, the first patron memberships were offered at $150.21, and membership grew to over 150 within a few months. In late 2015, the membership amended the Articles of Organization to allow the sale of nonpatron membership.

In 2016, member-owners launched a campaign to raise $200,000 through Investor Class Membership. Unfortunately, members only raised $42,000 after 5 months in to the campaign, falling short of milestones. The Board of Directors had to make the hard decision to suspend the campaign in June of 2017 and pivot the direction of the cooperative.

Bluenose Gopher Public House is governed by a seven ­member Board of Directors (elected to two ­year terms) and broader member ­led committees.

Bluenose Gopher Public House

Bluenose Gopher Brewery is a co-operative brewpub currently in the process of creating it's brews and organization and predict to open our doors in late 2015 or early 2016. We will open with craft beer, local food and entertainment in a prohibition theme location in downtown Granite Falls, home of Andrew Volstead.

We are a cooperative.

Bluenose Gopher Public House (formerly known as Bluenose Gopher Brewery) is a volunteer-led cooperative pub with a goal of opening its doors in June of 2018.